Working to bring USAPC to Northern Colorado

Numbers tell story of regional cooperation, planning for a massive cycling event that will showcase area to the world

Jul. 12, 2013

A group of cyclists rides to the USA Pro Challenge offices in Denver after a ceremony Nov. 16, 2012, to announce a bid to allow Northern Colorado host a stage of the race. / V. Richard Haro/Coloradoan Library

When the USA Pro Cycling Challenge hits Northern Colorado on Aug. 24, it will represent hundreds of man hours of hard work that the average fan will never know about. At least that’s what race organizers are hoping.

The USA Pro Challenge is a Medalist Sports event that draws international attention to Colorado from Aug. 19-25. It generated $99.6 million for Colorado in 2012, according to a study by Infomedia North America. Thousands of spectators are expected Aug. 24 to crowd the Stage 6 race route, which winds through Northern Colorado and ends at the finish line in Old Town Fort Collins, where they will find a festival featuring bands and food.

If all the planning that goes into putting on such a large-scale event, which will showcase Northern Colorado and its cycling community to the world, goes according to plan, then no one should be the wiser about the strings being pulled behind the curtain.

But, if you were to take a moment to peek behind that curtain, you would find Northern Colorado businesses, community members and cycling leaders who have worked together for years to make the race a reality for Northern Colorado.

An example of how the region pulled together to plan the race is the creation of the Local Organizing Committee intergovernmental agreement between Estes Park, Fort Collins, Larimer County, Loveland and Windsor, which allows the event to be staged.

Chris Johnson, director of Northern Colorado Cycling Events and technical co-chair of the LOC, said the entire process is a big machine that moves quickly. He said it is important to be proactive in the process to ensure the event reflects the Northern Colorado culture.

Bob Herrfeldt, LOC co-chair and director of The Ranch, said when the world comes to Northern Colorado in August, they will be ready.

He said, “Northern Colorado is doing this; it’s not being done to us.”

By the numbers

• Miles: 117

The stage starts at The Ranch in Loveland, makes a loop through Windsor before heading through Loveland up the Big Thompson Canyon to Estes Park. The cyclists tour Estes before heading back down the canyon on U.S. Highway 34, where the route cuts north toward Fort Collins. Riders finish by coming across Horsetooth Reservoir and end in Old Town Fort Collins.

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• Teams: 16

Teams will come from eight different countries to Colorado for the high-elevation race.

• Cyclists: 128

The USAPC will feature world-class cyclists, such as as 2012 Tour de France overall winner Bradley Wiggins and second-place finisher Chris Froome. Former Fort Collins cyclist Tejay van Garderen and his BMC Racing Team will take part in the USA Pro Challenge.

• Towns: 4

Estes Park, Fort Collins, Loveland and Windsor all will play host to the race. The IGA is one of the biggest keys to this race that Bob Herrfeldt, LOC co-chair, said is often overlooked. He said the IGA “screams the culture of Northern Colorado” and is one of his proudest moments.

• Counties: 2

The race will primarily run through Larimer County but will go into Weld County for a moment as cyclists ride through Windsor. While the race will include Weld County, the IGA does not. Larimer County is the only county included in the agreement.

• Years planning: 3

Since Loveland applied to host the USAPC in 2010, the wheels have been in motion for the race this summer. While Loveland was not selected that year, it set into motion the region’s community effort to get the race using Loveland, Fort Collins, Estes Park and Windsor, realizing the sum of the region’s efforts are better than one alone.

• Money invested: $535,000

While $535,000 is the budget for the Northern Colorado leg of the race, it fails to take into account all of the man hours and in-kind time spent on the race. That is a number that organizers have yet to add up, Herrfeldt said. In terms of meeting the budget, he said they are 90 percent there.

• Expected return: $2 million to $4 million media impact

The return on the race is hard to quantify, but it is basically the largest ad campaign ever run for Northern Colorado. The worldwide media exposure of the race is expected to pay off for Fort Collins in the long run. Estimates from other destinations that have hosted the USAPC value the media impact at anywhere from $2 million to $4 million. Other Colorado communities can attest to the race’s benefits. Golden held a leg of the race in 2011. City Project Coordinator Julie Brooks previously said Golden recorded a $25,000 year-over-year increase in sales tax revenue for the month of August in light of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge.

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• Visitors: 250,000

Based on numbers from similar communities such as Boulder, which hosted the race last year, Herrfeldt said they are anticipating between 200,000 and 250,000 visitors for the race. He noted that it is important to keep in mind those fans will be spread out across the 117-mile course and not all in downtown Fort Collins.

• Businesses: 20

Currently, there are at least 20 local businesses signed on as sponsors of the race, including New Belgium Brewing Co. and Jet Marketing. Herrfeldt said in his 20 years doing sports and marketing, he has never seen such a grass-roots effort. He said local companies have been stepping forward wanting to be a part of the race, as evidenced by the 90 percent funded mark. Herrfeldt said Northern Colorado bid committee member Jay Hardy told him the USAPC sponsorship is selling itself.

• Hotel rooms and meals: 750

The 65-page 2013 USAPC host venue request for proposal, or RFP, outlines the requirements of a city to host one of the stages of the race. A city that hosts a start and finish in the same city is required to provide 750 rooms and meals for riders and staff, parking, space for media and attendees. That number doesn’t include the impact of expected visitors to the area who might need rooms.

• Volunteers: 450

The lifeblood of the USAPC, Herrfeldt said the race would be impossible without them. Comparing the race to a golf tournament, Herrfeldt said volunteers act as ambassadors to the community because he can only be in one place at one time. The opportunity for volunteers to get a front-row view of a world-class race is another aspect of the event that Herrfeldt loves.

• Police: 160

Race organizers have examined every intersection of the race to determine exactly how many officers are needed at each position throughout the race, Herrfeldt said. Some of the police officers will be redeployed to different parts of the race and used multiple times at various locations.

• Roads closed: 43

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In all, the race will twist and turn its way through an estimated 43 different roads. The good news is the majority of those roads will be closed for 20 minutes. With the exception of U.S. Highway 34 running through the Big Thompson canyon, all other roads will be rolling closures. The highway through the canyon will remain closed for safety reasons.

• Fort Collins doors knocked on: 2,000

In an effort to keep the community aware of the race and the impacts it will have on the community,, Chris Johnson, LOC technical co-chair, along with volunteers, have been knocking on doors across town. When the outreach effort is complete, it’s all said and done, Johnson said they will hit 2,000 homes in Fort Collins alone.

• Cherry pies donated: 1

The Colorado Cherry Company along U.S. Highway 34 has contributed one cherry pie to the effort. When Johnson rode his bike up the canyon to speak with business owners about road closures and the race, Herrfeldt said they gave him a pie for his efforts.